Friday, March 25, 2016

Truth and Incarnotion

I say that -- "incarnotion" -- because I'm reading in Balthasar how Christian contemplation is really a kind of enfleshment of divine energies and ideas, thus, incarnotion. But mainly I say it because the title just popped into my head before I wrote the post, and it is merely up to me to write a post in conformity with the title so given.

In contemplation we are "an open ear to the ever-new word of God," wherein "God is speaking to this person and no other; to this beggar at the Temple gate..." "The whole glory" of this exchange -- and this is the key point -- is that "the very same personal encounter is meant to take place as in the Lord's earthly life."

I read somewhere words to the effect that it scarcely matters if Christ was incarnated in Nazareth or Bethlehem 2,000 years ago if he isn't incarnated in you. The Light must be onglowing. The Incarnation is always present tense. It is a perpetual possibility. Otherwise, what's the point?

It is the same vis-a-vis crucifixion and resurrection. I suppose it's really all a single movement of Incarnation-Crucifixion-Resurrection; which must in turn reflect an even deeper principle about the very nature of God. Which is what this weekend -- this Season -- is all about.

A "vast, living kingdom of heaven watches over transitory time..." For us this certainly includes the communion of saints and other worthies, i.e., those nonlocal operators standing by ready to assist us.

What do they see? Not bound by linear time or by various urgently trivial agendas, they "have an entirely different view of things; what seems important to us is utterly insignificant to them, and vice versa. What we are at pains to avoid can be the very thing which they see as significant, profitable and necessary..."

Oh great. Let this cup pass!

"Sorry. You don't know what's good for you."

Given that more tears are shed from answered than unanswered prayers, the corollary must be that more joy is spread from unanswered than answered ones. Not to say that the latter don't evoke joy, only to put things in their proper perspective.

Do people still try to "find themselves?" In the absence of God, there is simply no there there. "The man who concentrates on himself in the attempt to know himself better and thus, perhaps, to undertake some moral improvement, will certainly never encounter God..."

Conversely, "if he earnestly seeks God's will," then "he will -- incidentally, as it were -- realize and find himself (as far as he needs to)."

So, "finding oneself" is a byproduct of finding God -- which is really a tri-product of God finding us. In other words, the individual person is really a unique incarnotion, i.e., an Idea of God. Otherwise we'd all be the same, like animals and leftists.

Compare with the following quintessentially antichristic response to the definition of sin: Being out of alignment with my values.

This is helpful, for it explains why Obama regards political opponents as evil, for being out of alignment with his policies is a mortal sin.

Back to the God Man complementarity which is brought to a cosmic pinnacle in the Incarnotion of the Godman.

If you think about it at all, you will be struck by the fact "that there should be something else apart from the 'all,' apart from the ocean of Being, a kind of 'non-all,' an 'almost nothing,' something that is not Being and yet somehow 'is,' something whose existence is not necessary but 'accidental'..."

What I'm driving at is this striking differentiation-in-unity and unity-in-differentation which reaches a climax in man, except that man can't bridge the chasm between the differentiation and the unity without effacing the one or the other, i.e., without ascending into a Vedantic nondualism or descending into a pantheistic monism.

I suppose only the incarnotion of Christ can bridge that abyss.

In conclusion, if man is (?) then God is (!). We get a sense of this truism whenever we experience a little spontaneous (?!).

The creature is a perpetual question addressed to God.... Fundamentally, God is the 'Other' in every possible way, and so he is the answer to the question which I am. --Balthasar

27 comments:

Given that more tears are shed from answered than unanswered prayers, the corollary must be that more joy is spread from unanswered than answered ones. Not to say that the latter don't evoke joy, only to put things in their proper perspective.

This is such a hard thing for many to understand. Most of the people I know are suffering - physically, if not otherwise - in some real and often debilitating way; always (of course!) I pray that their pain will be eased, their troubles lessened, etc. But I also pray, perhaps even moreso, that whatever happens, the sufferer will find himself closer to God. Because then, at least the hardship is not meaningless (and therefore pointless - or rather, downright cruel - misery), but has the potential to bear good fruit.

What I'm driving at is this striking differentiation-in-unity and unity-in-differentation which reaches a climax in man, except that man can't bridge the chasm between the differentiation and the unity without effacing the one or the other, i.e., without ascending into a Vedantic nondualism or descending into a pantheistic monism.

The whole left<>right model seems messed up. As I understand it, fascism is totalitarianism backed by other large power entities (such as corporations) which mutually profit from such an arrangement, the rest be damned. But by that definition, was imperial Rome with its massive inequalities, slavery and big military, leftist? Some American conservatives today are high on big military, but there’s nothing more statist than big military. But that doesn’t make them leftist. Yet to other conservatives it does. A new model with new definitions is needed.

So, "finding oneself" is a byproduct of finding God -- which is really a tri-product of God finding us.

Reminds me of a country song -- I was looking back to see if you were looking back at me -- or the mirrors in the barbershop when I was a kid.

I read Dr. Sowell's piece earlier today. As Anon says, it is silly to view left/right as socialist/fascist. Socialism and Fascism are two closely related economic systems that require and reinforce large central governments and bureaucracies. Because of this, both run contrary to Classical Liberalism's emphasis on individual liberty and individual responsibility.

Both Socialism and Fascism are naturally totalitarian, you know, for the greater good. Both are overflowing with ideas so good they have to be enforced at gun point. Both are going to lead to a police state. Both see the masses as pawns to be moved and manipulated by their benevolent, wise, and all-knowing rulers.

I was telling an average high school kid the other day that you can always tell what a liberal is thinking, in that they are always guilty of whatever they accuse us of, e.g., greed, racism, sexual obsession, fascism, narrow-mindedness, anti-science, misogyny, violence, buying elections, etc.

So, "finding oneself" is a byproduct of finding God -- which is really a tri-product of God finding us. In other words, the individual person is really a unique incarnotion, i.e., an Idea of God. Otherwise we'd all be the same, like animals and leftists."

Accurate political tests would need at least 16 types... I mean, just the libertarians... There’s the “If 6 was 9” hippy libertarians, the Lew Rockwell Lincoln-dissing libertarians, the Ron Paul no-blowback libertarians, the Paul Craig Roberts ‘everything is a conspiracy’ libertarians... This place seems closest to Machen libertarianism. I know a few of those. If I ever had the time I’d ally with those guys on behalf of small business owners who believe they’re getting slowly squashed by corporate-government collusion. But that’s my focus, not here.

Van, agreed. Machen was reputedly a tireless fighter for his beliefs, but seems lost on that irony. Somewhere between Jesus kicking temple merchant ass, and turning the other cheek, there seems to be confusion.

And everyone else (sorry about breaking the mood), agreed about Easter blessings as well.

Happy Easter to all and your loved ones! I hope you all had a blessed Holy Week, as well.

I challenged myself to go to all Holy Week Masses, and I'm so glad I did. I didn't end up going today, unfortunately, but so glad I went to all the evening Masses. Holy Thursday was especially beautiful. I imagine most Catholic Churches do this, but at the end, the only lights were from candles by the Tabernacle, and then everyone prayed til they left silently, because they had Adoration of the Host til midnight. During Mass, you have the washing of feet, the special music, and decorations for Holy Thursday, and it was just really deeply spiritual.

I'm taking some courses in catechism and evangelization (preparation for teaching children religion), and it's been topical and really interesting. I've noticed that the more I learn about my faith, the more meaningful all of the rituals are and it all resonates on a deeper level. That sounds kind of obvious as I write this, but I didn't expect that when I started taking my first class earlier this year.

We did all of the evening Holy Week services last year, but it was a bit much for the little ones. This year we just did the vigil mass last night, but it was really beautiful. We had a big group of baptisms. And people seemed especially joyful to be singing the Gloria again. I agree, learning more about the faith does make everything resonate so much more; as a kid, I never really understood what was going on, so didn't particularly notice how things changed and what it all meant.

Because, on the whole, they take Liberty as a self evident starting point, rather than the culmination of an understanding of metaphysics, ethics and political philosophy. Consequently, every issue is taken as a legit choice - NAMBLA? You're free to choose! - Govt? I didn't choose that, you're oppressing me! - and so on, and on, into an eventual - and sudden - societal collapse and the rise of either one strongman, or competing warlords.

What About Bob?

Who spirals down the celestial firepole on wings of slack, seizes the wheel of the cosmic bus, and embarks upin a bewilderness adventure of higher nondoodling? Who, haloed be his gnome, loiters on the threshold of the transdimensional doorway, looking for handouts from Petey? Who, with his doppelgägster and testy snideprick, Cousin Dupree, wields the pliers and blowtorch of fine insultainment for the ridicure of assouls? Who is the gentleman loaffeur who yoinks the sword from the stoned philosopher and shoves it in the breadbasket of metaphysical ignorance and tenure? Whose New Testavus for the Restavus blows the locked doors of the empyrean off their rusty old hinges and sheds a beam of intense darkness on the world enigma? Who is the Biggest Fakir of the Vertical Church of God Knows What, channeling the roaring torrent of 〇 into the feeble stream of cyberspace? Who is the masked pandit who lobs the first water balloon out the motel window at the annual Raccoon convention? Who is your nonlocal partner in disorganized crimethink? Shut your mouth! But I'm talkin' about bʘb! Then we can dig it!

Goround ZerO:

The Cosmic Area Rug:

The empty center is Beyond-Being. The circles are dimensions of Being. Your life is a path for the Spirit to pass from periphery to center. Thoughts and choices -- truth and virtue -- are the paving stones.

Only Error is Transmitted:

Buck Mulligan, Official Mascot

Official Sponsor of the Kosmic Kit Scouts, Laniakea Supercluster Chapter

Fuck You: War

Late last night, in search of light, I watched a ball of fire streak across the midnight sky. I watched it glow, then grow, then shrink, then sink into the silhouette of morning. As I watched it die, I said, ‘Hey, I’ve got a lot in common with that light.’ That’s right. I’m alive with the fire of my life, which streaks across my span of time and is seen by those who lift their eyes in search of light to help them though the long, dark night. --Nilsson

We see that yesterday is our birthday, today is our life, and tomorrow we are gone. So we have just one day to learn all we need to know, and that day is today. --Petey